I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a damping and dissipation device which can be used for limiting disturbances transmitted between two bodies, generated by forcing elements of a dynamic nature in structures in general. Forcing elements of a dynamic nature refer in particular to forcing elements of an impulsive, vibratory, seismic type and/or deriving from wave-motion.
II. Description of Related Art
Within the range of damping and dissipation devices of disturbances of a dynamic nature, the device object of Italian patent application n. MI2006A001267 owned by the Applicant, is at present known in particular, which has proved to be capable of effectively damping disturbances of a dynamic nature which develop along a pre-determined damping direction and which is used for example for damping disturbances along the axis of structures with an axial development, such as pipelines, tanks, pillars, beams and so forth.
This device comprises two blocks made of elastomeric material between which a pre-compressed elastic element preferably of the variable load type, is interposed, for example such as that object of Italian patent application n. MI2004A002444 of the same Applicant.
The unit consisting of two blocks made of elastomeric material and the interposed elastic element is assembled between two containment plates destined for being constrained to the structure having an axial development and a fixed supporting body, respectively.
These plates are initially clamped in a reciprocal fixed position determined by the tightening of two legs sliding inside each other, each respectively fixed to one of the two plates. Once the device is functioning, this fixed coupling is released by means of an unblocking interface accessible from the free end of the outer leg.
The known damping device of dynamic disturbances can be effectively used, for example, in the case of instabilities of the fluid-dynamic type which are the cause of impulsive axial movements, such as for example water-hammer or the slug motion of a fluid.
Analogously, this known device also offers an effective damping of axial disturbances of a dynamic nature caused by start-up transients of plants, instantaneous mechanism interventions, such as for example the opening of safety valves, or excessive reactions of a thermal nature on structures.
In these applications, two damping devices of the known type are arranged parallel to the structure having an axial development and preferably in axis between each other, so that a first of the above plates of each device is constrained to a framework integral with the structure and the second plate is constrained to a central supporting body integral with the ground.
In this way, in the case of an impulsive dynamic disturbance, indifferently in one of the two directions along the axis of the structure, the disturbance is transferred to the damping device which, as it is compressed against the fixed support, is capable of attenuating the load peak to which the structure is subjected.
In this type of application, where the structure substantially only undergoes disturbances of a dynamic nature along its own axis, the known damping device of dynamic disturbances offers optimum results.
This device, on the contrary, cannot be applied if the structure is contemporaneously subjected to both axial and transversal disturbances with respect to its axis, as, in the case of transversal disturbances, a rigid constraint to the structure and supporting body would cause the breakage or irremediable damage of the damping device itself.
Furthermore, in the known damping device it is not always easy to effect the initial releasing of the two plates, in particular in the case of assembly in which the respective release interface is not easily accessible. This occurs for example when the known damping device is assembled at considerable heights and with the main damping direction coinciding with a direction orthogonal to the axis of the structure.